S. Booyoog, et al., “Atomic layer deposition of transition metals,” Nature Materials, Nature Publishing group, Vol. 2 (November 2003), www. nature. com/naturematerials (“Booyoog”), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses that atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a process for depositing highly uniform and conformal thin films by alternating exposures of a surface to vapors of two chemical reactants. ALD processes have been successfully demonstrated for many metal compounds, but for only very few pure metals. The article discusses processes for the ALD of transition metals including copper, cobalt, iron and nickel. Homoleptic N,N′-dialkylacetamidinato metal compounds and molecular hydrogen gas are disclosed to be used as the reactants. Their surface reactions are disclosed to be complementary and self-limiting, thus providing highly uniform thicknesses and conformal coating of long, narrow holes. The authors also propose that these ALD layers grow by a hydrogenation mechanism that should also operate during the ALD of many other metals. The use of water vapor in place of hydrogen gas is disclosed to give a highly uniform, conformal film of metal oxides, including lanthanum oxide.